Thursday, February 09, 2006

Young generation's health

I am 44 years old. When my wife and I were young (under 18), we didn't know any friend who had asthma or autism. Now, God knows why, both of my kids (6 and 10 years old) have asthma. One of my high-school friends has a 8-year old son being treated for autism. According to US scientists and public health officials, our young generation are suffering from epidemics of obesity, asthma, diabetes and autism. Environmental factors have been playing major roles in this.

In fact, over past several hundreds of years, for the 1st time ever, our young generation are less healthier than their parent.

is it because there are more now? Or that these diseases simply did not exist back then? How many family doctors in the 1950's or 1960's regularly diagnosed asthma or autism??? I wonder how many parents took their hyper-active kids to the doctor for mediaction in the 1950's??? very few would be my guess.

This huge increase in 'diseases' seems to be making a lot of people a whole lot richer (doctors, drug makers). I'm not saying that there is a huge conspiracy, but it IS in the best interest of a lot of big business for more people to be 'sick'

Antibiotics play a large role in asthma. Children who take antibiotics in the first year of life are twice as likely to develop asthma by age 7; if they're given broad-spectrum antibtiotics they are 9 times as likely. This is largely due to healthy gut bacteria being killed off, which throws the immune system -- much of which is based in the digestive tract -- off kilter, causing both allergies and asthma.

Luckily, taking "probiotics" or good bacteria such as lacto acidophilus can ameliorate asthma symptoms (and allergies). Yogurt is not enough for therapeutic purposes but there are chewable, kid-friendly probiotics. Omega-3 fatty acids (dha & epa, as found in fish oil) also calm the immune system's inflammatory reactions, thus reducing asthma symptoms.

Regarding autism, the alteration of mercury amalgam fillings in the 1970's (such that they now release several mcg of mercury daily), along with the mercury in vaccines (which is highly variable from one shot to the next-- like playing roulette), are likely contributors, imho. There is an interaction with antibiotics, as well, because the good bacteria assist in excretion of heavy metals, and without them the toxic effects of this mercury are amplified.

That's very strange, I'm always reading about how professors are making food healthier and healthier.If you don't let a child play in the mud it will have a weaker immune-system, same thing with the food?